scoobos

*looks around* *doesn't take the bait* fuck this lads I'm offski, before I get arrested while I sleep.

He's done good work for us this year tbh.

Same for america as a whole imo - and that's why I really didnt enjoy it there at all. It really starts to get you down when you come from the UK with our welfare state and see how the average, nice , normal citizen will treat someone in that position as if they are not human. You're also right about the buses, but its more about the weather being more temperate in winter so they dont have to "deal with" frozen dead homeless people on the subway grids, at 6am in January, than they are better looked after by the state or anything. (and I'm really not joking) Also, don't get me wrong its great to work overseas for a bit - but make sure you factor in things like: you will be expected to take almost FUCK ALL holiday - get a good medicare package, don't go for standard or even +1 , they are not good enough - If I were you, I'd not try push for any special currency payment terms, get paid in USD and bring it home as gold if you have to , also try move to match a tax year, and return that way. In all honesty I dont understand the sterling slump comment, I must be missing something - I'm paid in USD and its meant a 21% pay rise for me ? USD buys more sterling. The positives are absolutely worth going for at least a year or two though, but to emigrate and live, you're going to need a lot of money and a very blind eye (especially as you approach retirement). IMO America is by no means the land of opportunity anymore. you didnt ask, but if my threads getting derailed I'm going to act all knowledgable Benton seems to be winning by the way - pretty nice houses there for 150k!!

It's been done to death, but what does me in is the amount of older americans (mostly living on my island) - who are banging on about they had to vote Trump because they needed change and power returned to the people. So hold on..... You wanted change and voted in a elite businessman who represents the 1 percent , gives no fuck about anything other than economics, how is that CHANGE?

lol - "I can run my own company and run the country" I'd do a good job... lol, total arrogance.

Ah whoops I got Benton and Kenton confused!!!

Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm not though Gemmill, but I know exactly what you are saying. I'd move to Canada in a heartbeat, I loved it when I was working there. I think its more who you are with , than where you are - and most of my mates are in Newcastle or (uncannily!) Newcastle in New South Wales Oz - and most of them want to move to the UK!

Thanks for the replies by the way, I'll look a bit more at Benton - I had a feeling it was a massive run down estate for some reason.

Close, I live on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. I'm coming back as the grass is always greener, and weather isn't everything My first choice cities in the world to live in are Vancouver and Newcastle, and my wife can't get work in Vancouver so its Newcastle! Sure its nice to have Caribbean beaches, but the island is 20 miles by 4, 60,000 people - and I miss the footie, banter, friday night piss ups on the town, the food - believe it or not! There's 3 beers I can drink here, all lagers, no real real ale. In my opinion, Newcastle really is one of the best cities in the world, the only ones I like as much, or better are Sydney, Vancouver and perhaps Toronto. Like I say, the grass is always greener somewhere else, until you live there a few years.

An interesting take. Not sure about the hess thing though, did they share a prison cell? I thought Hess edited it after he'd written both parts?

possibly. It was going to happen in Germany anyway, you can't persecute a nation as badly as the league of nations did Germany after the Great war without it going to shit, but I doubt the "alternative" German leader would have had anywhere near the sickness Hitler did. Yes, I probably would kill baby hitler, unless I could find a way to keep his relationship with his dad sweet and perhaps have him spend a little more time playing instead of reading about french and russian politics. From what I gather, you could put his whole sickness and views down to a bloody statue in his home town!! But this is a book thread, not a history one.

If I knew that I'd be a billionaire by now. Something to do with bitcoin and renewables, possibly... RE: Corbyn, there already is a maximum wage cap on (I'd estimate 100%) of executives and directors - its called the "higher rate tax band" -> everyone pays themselves a penny less than that in Salary - and the rest in dividends or hidden benefits in kind. *disclaimer* I've been out of England for 5 years it may have changed... True story, when I was a director: I opted to pay tax , and my accountant at the time asked me to find another as I was being difficult by not paying only 5,500 a year, to trigger NI minimum payments (or something like that). Too much like hard work not to follow the herd of tax dodgers.

Ok cards on the table I did Totalitarian Regimes at history and got engrossed with this stuff. No-ones born evil . nature vs nurture and all that. Also, I'm not saying by finding his book a good read that I think hitler was an all round good bloke - but not being open to reading it because of his horror , is also as dangerous as reading it because you think hes a great bloke. Like I say, you can draw some scary parallels - what he was doing and saying back BEFORE he got power, is not too far removed from what a lot of western voters are voting for today! It sounds moderate until it becomes normal and then its pushed further.

not really arsed as long as I can afford it and there's not going to be chavs with glubags stuck to their noses on the metro home when Im wankered on a friday night.

Quite good debate going on in here like. I think there's a middle ground between Parky and Happy Face though. There is something going on, there is a definite shift. Global politics and economics has noticably changed towards slowign down and sustaining what we have, and what we have is , arguably less than 1% of the highest GDP's countries populations (?!?) holding over 90% of its wealth and resources. Bad sentence, but I think it makes sense. Not necessarily their own countries resources I should add - so say the richest UK guy probably has a fairly big stake in mining, housing, land whatever, in another country. Offshore, in the tax havens, there has been a very noticable move towards people having a "green conscience" all of a sudden and I do think its to do with the fact that many of these resources are so finite now, and so owned that no one wants to rock the boat. That said, the current trend of turning "electricity" into money with Bitcoin mining , is a big concern... Also Happy face is right on the money too, in most countries (not the UK though ?) - A CEO or Managing Director of a public listed company is MANDATED by law to maximise profit at all costs - being carbon neutral, enviro friendly, socially responsible etc can only be really done with company money if it can be proven its maximising revenues / profits. If a director wants to "do good" he has to do it with his own earnings, not the companies money, as thats theft, as it belongs to the shareholders and not him. There's also forward momentum where you just can't stop the ship from ploughing forward. My 2 cents - The "growth" theory is all bollox and everyone knows it - it's absolutely unfeasible to believe that GDP, or individual company, or individual people can acheive year on year financial growth. Maybe from the 60's to now, but its all going to change (hopefully).

nah man, its me dream to come home. Whats going on with you this year - is this some kind of new years resolution to go all Kafka on me? Or are you building up to an onslaught of "Bants" ? Where's here anyway? Knightsbridge (or slough!)?

Seriously it is man, it's real eye opening and there's so many spooky parallels with current affairs, especially Islamic state and the current political movement to the right. Despite obviously being a fuckin complete nightmare - he was a very intelligent man, if he wasnt such a twisted fucker he could have had equally as good an impact on the world (perhaps). He was already about half way gone when he wrote this, but he wasn't full Hitler by a long way - it's interesting (to me anyway) to see what drives a man to justify themselves.

Mein Kampf and King's "Bazaar of bad dreams" , both are pretty good reads . I really like Bad Dreams, because of kings prologues, before every short story, where he explains why he wrote it, how it wrote it etc.

Finally, after 10 years away - I'm coming home to newcastle to settle down and, hopefully, wind down. Any particular areas you lot would recommend avoiding, or heading for? I used to live in South Gosforth, loved the metro links and generally feel of the place. DIdnt mind the area near the hospital either, nor High heaton, which was alright , if not a bit heavy on stewdents. Looking at LongBenton, benton, Gosforth and parts of Kenton , anyone got any opinions ?

That's not Zola, that's Rob brydon - we'll smash them 6 nowt.

smug mode?

Any fan whos had rafa as a manager will say you just can't explain some of his rotations - he's driven more by his medical team than his coaches, by his own admission. Not saying that's the reason for Mitro of course, but just an example of his unique style of picking the first 11. I'd still like to think that if Mitro had the gametime Gayle had, he'd be performing as well, if not better - but I don't doubt Rafa's ability over mine like, so he can play whoever he likes. I've not seen the first XI I'd pick all season, theres always been some strange decision (at least I think not).

Turning up to vote on every match might win the race :/

Appleton vx and coke. Caybrew and red stripe.